13 Awful-Smelling Fragrances

From Lancome to Avon, these women's perfumes left Total Beauty readers itching, gagging and more

No. 13: Clinique Aromatics Elixir, $42.50 TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 6.5*
Why: While this is "a classic 'Old Lady in a Bottle' scent," some readers say the fragrance is "something even my grandmother would have snubbed." The "thick, rich" smell reminded one reader of "cats, mothballs and fruitcakes" and caused sneezes and headaches for several others. The "overpowering" scent made one reader "sick to [her] stomach," and another reader went so far as to claim that "even touching the bottle sticks the fragrance to your fingers in such a way that you'll smell that sickeningly thick aroma all day!" Buyers beware: this is "definitely a love or hate scent."

I personally like Flower by Kenzo and Gucci by Gucci - and I have other pet peeves: Insolence by Guerlain (a very particular smell that clung to my skin for days) and Issey Miyake - I love the smell but it gives me headaches